The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-19
viewed as means to greater work is as

viewed as means to greater work is as
wise as are the sons OF this world,
III. There are certain bents OF dispose.
ton, certain inclinations Of character, 1--WE
may call them tastes, yet they are deeper
than taste since they are part OF the ma
ture) which divide men into groups.
There are people who incline forwards
forms, II IL natural for them to like litur.
gies, they are born high churchmen. Such
people will feel more at home and natur-
ally gravitate toward Episcopacy.
Others are naturally emotional, are born
Me'hodists, and that church Is the best
place for them. II live Methodist hap
pened TO "get the power" In the Episco
pal church he would be likely to break up
the meeting.
The same dispositions show themselves
In the choice of scripture and the determ-
ination of doctrine. Some people by ma
ture dwell upon Calvanistic passages, cleo.
ton, generalization, predestination. They
would join q Calvanistic body. Others
dwell upon works, "WOrk out your own
salvation with fear and trembling"
We thus classify severalDtypes Of people.
preached and practiced among the class OF
posed there Is the best place for them.
would not ignore, however, a perfect
obedience to Gods truth, whether II Is &C
cording to ones liking or againstit Mans
disposition Is to selfishness, he Is to cruelty
himself. The word Of God Is the standard
of truth. We must obey 1t. But having
the truth We may classify ourselves without
violating any known precept OF God, unless
perchance these classitications may be
abused and lead us to violate the spirit OF
the bond. Mans dispositions must run In
the channels of truth, not truth In the
channels of mans disposition.
III. Notwithstanding emphasizes
certain doctrines without denying others
Each has certain banners, but certain
one Is held higher than the others.
/. When John Wesley began his work
in England personal piety and public NOR
ais were very low. The state was the
church. Efforts for the salvation of men
were needed, work and piety were the de.
mand of the perishlng world and of the
Lord of the harvest. 1t Is no wonder that
under such circumstances the Arminian
thought of salvation by grace secured by
works should be made prominent, This
banner is held high by the Methodist
church, yet 1t Is not the only banner carried
by that denomination.
2 John Calvin was profound scholar,
student of the word, second only to Luther
in securing the reformation. He saw the
church OF the state usurping the place of
God, protesting by churchly right to send
men to heaven or hell He saw the need
of putting God back on his throne as de-
terminer of the destiny of man and he de-
veloped the thought OF scripture that God
has chosen people elected to be saved.
predestined from all eternity. 1t was God
not the church that had the power of life
and death. This banner the Presbyterians
hold aloft but we must not think II the
only banner carried by them.
3. When In the early centuries the
church of Rome sanctioned change In the
form of baptism, there were people who
opposed II because the change seemed to
them to destroy the symbolism Of the Or
dinance of burial and resurrection and
because 1t did not follow the example Of
Christ. These people raised on high a ban.
ner with the inscription Buried with
Christ in BAPTISM yet this is not the only
banner carried by the Baptists.
4. There are people today who think
there ought to be more prominence given
to the second coming of Christ, and they
are trying to raise their banner also.
have nothing to do tonight with any
banner that has not bible truth upon 1t.
Those have mentioned are truths in God g
word. There is second coming of our
Lord, there Is bible baptism, there Is a
doctrine of election, there Is doctrine of
works. 30 far then as these truths are COZ.
cerned the denominations that emphasize
them have holy calling and in 30 far as
theyhold themselves to their work will have
the blessing of the great head OF the
church.
w. Another reason for separate demon.
nations lies in emulation. Each church
needs stimulus and there ought TO be a
healthful emulation between them. While
all christian work is one, yet each church's
work Is separate. When my neighbours
garden is we'll kept am stimulated to i'm
prove my own. When another church is
prospecting wish the same of my own. A
rivalry that has in 1t the right motive can
never be wrong. To build up one church
however, by methods that weaken another
cannot be right either in the sight of God
or of man.
Lastly, the main work of each body OF
Christians is to save the world from sin and
its eternal results. The church is life
saving service, not saints rest Every
man is to lend hand for God and human
ity and do mans work until the end
comes.